‘National AYUSH Mission’ to plug gaps in health services

The Union Cabinet, at its meeting on Monday 15-09-2014, gave its nod for launching the National AYUSH Mission (NAM) with “core and flexible components.”

It is aimed at addressing the gaps in health services by supporting AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) care and education, particularly in vulnerable and far-flung areas.

“Under NAM, special focus will be given to specific needs of such areas and allocation of higher resources in their annual plans. The Mission will help in the improvement of AYUSH education through enhancement in the number of upgraded educational institutions; better access to AYUSH services through increase in number of AYUSH hospitals and dispensaries, availability of drugs and manpower; providing sustained availability of quality raw material for AYUSH systems of medicine; and improving availability of quality Ayurvedic, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs through increase in the number of pharmacies, drug laboratories and improved enforcement mechanism,” a statement from the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry said.

The Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy was created in March 1995 and renamed AYUSH in November 2003 to provide focussed attention to the development of education and research in these systems of medicine.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, in its election manifesto, said it would increase public investment to promote AYUSH and start integrated courses for Indian system of medicines and modern science.